Censuring The Censors

This Blu-ray release seems to contain the same US theatrical version that came out on DVD locally. The MPAA reportedly prompted the studio to cut some violence before Total Recall hit cinemas in 1990. The fully uncensored director's cut, if it exists, has not yet been released on home video.

The following notes come from a Finnish censorship website called The Attic. Scenes supposedly trimmed for the US R rating include:

The scene where Quiad uses a pedetrian as a shield against the bad guy's fire, was originally more bloody (even now it's incredibly graphic).

The midget stabbing Richter's aide originally showed "the ol' inout, inout" more graphically.

The shot of Benny's death was cropped to avoid graphic nastiness (the drill coming through from his stomach).